Lead water pipe advice please...

[doghawg]

When I got this stuff (Free!) yesterday there was water running out of it. I know that there is still water trapped in some of the flattened and kinked sections.

So.......How do I melt this stuff without a visit from the MOTHER of all tinsel fairies??

[chevyiron420]

if it was me i would cut it into short pieces, pound em flat, and put in a cold pot. then heat it up and the water should steam out before it melts.

[357maximum]

if it was me i would cut it into short pieces, pound em flat, and put in a cold pot. then heat it up and the water should steam out before it melts.

Thats what I have done alot of..you do not have to pound them flat...it will actually make it worse. I use a sharp hatchet and a chunk O' white oak. Just make sure you get it in the pot before you start a fire under it...and all will be right swell.

[Le Loup Solitaire]

One way to melt down the pipe would be first to chop it into six inch lengths with a hatchet/axe. Then stack a bunch-cold ...in whatever you are using to (s)melt in, also cold, cover the top with an aluminum pie plate or turkey baster, turn on the current and leave for a while. Another possibility would be to to stack the short lengths in an aluminum turkey baster and put them in the oven for a while at 250 degrees...which would not melt them, but drive out the water. It would take several rotations of batches to get it all done, But check with SWMBO/The War Dept first. LLS

[John Boy]

One wants clean cuts with no crimps to allow the water to drain ...
http://www.uniweld.com/Larger_View/70087_lg.jpg

[zxcvbob]

Chop it into manageable pieces and heat it slowly. All the water will be gone long before the lead starts to melt.

The important thing is don't add any new pieces while there's melted lead in the pot. To speed things along, you could turn the heat off once its kind of melted down. Let it cool off just enough to harden, then add the new pieces and turn the fire back on -- but be careful.

[Springfield]

Also remember that there is probably lots of foreign minerals/yucky stuff inside those pipes. It tends to smoke quite a bit and smell, even worse than wheelweights, so be prepared. Sometimes it even gets to foaming when it melts.

[HeavyMetal]

Here in SoCal, summer time, I'd leave it out in the sun a few days maybe tipped at an angle.

Then use the cold pot method. If your doing this outside you might get lucky adding to the pot but I wouldn't chance it unless I was darn sure all the water had evaporated!

[briang]

I've always grabbed one end with pliers and melted the other with a torch, however the cold pot method is much safer and quite frankly easier.

[Jim]

Dog,
I'm retired from over 30 years as a plumber and pipefitter. All these boys have told you rightly! Do it outside so's you don't wind up smokin' that stuff, get it good'n hot, skim it off real good and you'll have yerself a batch of mighty fine lead to make boolits with!
Enjoy & be safe!
Jim

P.S.- Wear safety glasses. If ya' can't see, ya' can't shoot.

[doghawg]

Thanks for the responses. I'll chop the pipe into short lengths, starting with a cold pot and heat slowly with an aluminum pie plate loosely over the pot while wearing a face shield. I imagine a section with water trapped in it lowered into a hot melt....would be near nuclear....

[olovo]

Also try to avoid melting joints. I understand there might be zinc in there and you don't want zinc in your alloy. Maybe Jim knows more about it as I'm not sure what type of lead pipe solder was used "over the pond".

[zxcvbob]

I think the wiped joints are made with high-tin solder -- possibly as high as 63% tin, but 40% to 50% is probably more common. That would be a good thing.

[NSP64]

I think the wiped joints are made with high-tin solder -- possibly as high as 63% tin, but 40% to 50% is probably more common. That would be a good thing.

Unless you were wanting pure for BP:drinks:

[DAFzipper]

Cut it to fit in a flat rate box and send it to me. I will dry it out for you!:-D

[Jim]

Also try to avoid melting joints. I understand there might be zinc in there and you don't want zinc in your alloy. Maybe Jim knows more about it as I'm not sure what type of lead pipe solder was used "over the pond".

Nope, no zinc in joint wiping solder. Just lead and tin. Throw the whole mess in there and have at it.

[corvette8n]

I was given some already cut up into 6-8 in pieces with the ends flattend, I just burned a hold thru the side with a propane tourch.

[doghawg]

Just as a follow up on this thread. I chopped and heated slowly. Ended up with 340 one pound+ ingots and NO tinsel fairy...[smilie=w:

[Jim]

There ya' go! Ya' done good, son! Th' ol' man's proud of ya'!!:drinks:

[NHlever]

Cut it to fit in a flat rate box and send it to me. I will dry it out for you!:-D


:D :D :D :drinks:

[inuhbad]

WOW! That's like $60 worth of FREE lead! :drinks:

That's my primary source for pure lead, and I love the lead piping as it's easy to break down into smaller sections!

I assume you already own a hacksaw, right? Just go down to the hardware store, and buy some new blades for it! For $4 bucks you can buy blades rated for cutting 'Heavy Metal' and those more coarse blades thankfully do not clog up with lead much at all!

Cut the piping down into ~7" or 8" lengths - whatever size fits best in your scrap lead smelting pot - and then put them in a bucket in your shed or garage for a while to let them dry out!

After a they're likely all dry, maybe a couple days, fill up your pot & smelt 'em down!

Another good reason to cut them up with a hacksaw is because the AXE / Hatchet method will somewhat 'kink' the pipes! You want clean cuts because you'll likely find that these pipes were dug up by a backhoe or other heavy equipment, and there's likely a LOT OF SAND OR DIRT inside the pipes at various points! If you hacksaw them into smaller sections, you can just give the piping a little 'whack' and get all the sand & dirt out of the pipes!

It leaves you with MUCH LESS slag & crap to scrape off the top of your smelting!

You scored yourself a GREAT deal on that lead! Congrats!!! :mrgreen: